Great Piece Meadows

Great Piece Meadows is a 7,100-acre (29 km2) fresh water swamp located in Morris and Essex Counties, New Jersey. The wooded swamp is mostly inside the bow of the Passaic River which floods during the year from heavy rain or heavy snow melt.

Geology

During the late Triassic Period when the North American Plate separated from the African Plate, an aborted rift system was created between the Ramapo Fault and a fault west of Paterson. A half graben was created and was filled with red bed sediment. The land between the Ramapo fault and the fault west of Paterson lowered. When the Wisconsin Glacier melted due to climate change around 13,000 BC, at this time Lake Passaic was formed. Over several thousand years the lake drained and formed the Great Piece Meadows.

The Whippany River and Rockaway River drain half of Morris County into the Passaic River in the Hatfield Swamp. The Passaic River flows north where it becomes the Great Piece Meadows. Snow melt in northwestern Morris County, heavy summer rains, and hurricanes passing through the area, are reasons why the Great Piece Meadows flood so often. The ground can be one to four feet under water.

Flora and fauna

The meadows are part of the Northeastern coastal forests ecoregion.[1]

White tailed deer, raccoons, skunks, gray fox, possums, and muskrats inhabit the Great Piece Meadows. However, due to frequent flooding, mammals struggle to maintain a foothold in the swamp. Most live on the fringes of the swamp.

Hardwood trees are stunted due to the frequent flooding. During dry years, trees make good growth. Tree species include various oaks, maples, sweet gum, elm, ash, and sycamores.

Various amphibians, turtles and snakes also make their home in the swamp.

Fish such as carp and catfish inhabit the Passaic and Rockaway Rivers in this area.

Waterfowl, migrating though the area in autumn, rest and feed in the swamp before proceeding south.

Geography

The Great Piece Meadows is between the townships of Wayne and Montville going from east to west. From north to south, it is between Lincoln Park and Fairfield.

The altitude is 160 feet (49 m) above sea level. The swamp is over 7,100 acres (29 km2).

Route 80 travels 4 miles (6.4 km) along the southern portion of the swamp.

References

  1. ↑ Olson, D. M, E. Dinerstein, et al (2001). "Terrestrial Ecoregions of the World: A New Map of Life on Earth". BioScience 51 (11): 933–938. doi:10.1641/0006-3568(2001)051[0933:TEOTWA]2.0.CO;2.

See also

Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge

Coordinates: 40°53′48″N 74°18′50″W / 40.89665°N 74.31393°W